Game apparatus



Dec. 7, 1937. J. W. ORCUTT El AL 2,101,188

GAME APPARATUS Filed Jan. 21, 1935 20 Joseph W Oraufi barr Afifearns T homas L. Wall INVENTOR5 THE/R ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT GAME APPARATUS Application January 21, 1935, Serial No. 2,664

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a game apparatus.

It is an object of this invention to provide animproved game apparatus which is relatively simple and inexpensive in construction and eflicient in use.,

Another objectoi the present invention is to provide in a game apparatus, a novel combina-- tion of: a cabinet including an inclined playing board; means for propelling balls into the upper portion of said inclined playing board so that they may gravitate thereover; a ball return runway arranged upon said inclined playing board and elevated above the latter for returning played balls toward the lower end of said inclined playing board; a second "ball runway arranged upon said inclined playing board including a portion extendingbelow the said first-named or elevated runway and including a reversely curved portion extending above the said first-named or elevated runway adjacent the upper end of the latter; and means arranged adjacent the lower. end of the saidfirst-named or elevated runway and below the latter and actuated by a spent or played ball, forreprojecting a spent or played ball toward the upper end of said inclined playing board so that it may enter into the said second-named or lower runway and be deflected by the said reversely curved portion of the latter onto the upper portion of the said first-named or upper runway.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will best be understood by ref erence to the accompanying drawing, showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a game apparatus embodying a preferred form. of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a preferred form of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 3-3 in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 44.in Fig. 3;

and

Fig. 5 isa view, partly in section, showing diagrammatically an electromagnetic circuit embodied in the invention.

A preferred form of the new game apparatus is shown in the drawing, is therein generally indicated at E9, and comprises a cabinet l which includes an inclined playing board I2.

Arranged at one side of the inclined playing board I2 is a ramp [3 and arranged at the lower end of the ramp I3 is a propelling device orplunger It by means of which balls may be propelled, one at a time, up the ramp 13 onto the upper portion of the inclined playing board l2 so that they may gravitate thereover toward 5 the lower end of the playing board.

Arranged on the inclined playing board I2 are parallel rails 55 which provide a ball runway I6 and provided in the playing board 52, at the lower end of the runway 85, is an opening ll. 10

Arranged below the playing board I2 is an electromagnet l3 and pivotally mounted at a suitable point below the playing board I2, as at l9, upon the electromagnet I8, is a ball reprojecting member 29. This member 24] includes 15 a pair of substantially parallel circuit-closing arms 2| and 22, the arm 22 being movable relative to the arm 2| and carrying a contact 23. These circuit-closing members 2! and 22 are arranged in an electromagnetic circuit 24 which 20 includes a source of electrical energy 25, which maybe a battery of dry cells or the like arranged in the cabinet ll.

Arranged upon the inclined playing board I2 is an elevated runway 25 which is provided by 25 a pair of spaced rails 26, these rails 26 having downwardly angled end portions 21 which terminate at their lower ends upon the inclined playing board l2 within a confined area 28 thereof, the area 28 being circumscribed by elevated 30 rails 29. v

Arranged upon the playing board l2, at the upper end of the runway 25, is a reversely curved ramp or bank board 33 which is provided by a pair of reversely curved rails 30, these rails 35 30 opening at their lower ends onto the playing board i2, below the elevated runway 25, and extending or projecting over the runway 25 above and parallel to, the upper end portion of the latter, and above the playing board i2. 40

Mounted upon the playing board l2 adjacent the lower end or mouth 32 of the reversely curved ramp 2933 is a pair of so-called rebound flags or springs 3| such as are described in our copending application, Serial No. 756,102, filed De- 45 cember 5, 1934, upon a Game apparatus.

Operation A ball propelled by the plunger l4 up the ramp l3 will gravitate over the inclined playing board 5 I2 and, if it enters the open upper end or mouth of the trackway it it will gravitate down the latter and engage the relatively movable circuit closing member 22, thereby pivoting the circuit closing member 22 so as to engage the contact 23 55 carried thereby with the circuit-closing member 2!. This engagement of the contact 23 with the member 2i closes the electromagnetic circuit 24 (Fig. 5), thereby energizing the electromagnet l8, whereupon the ball-reprojecting member 20 is attracted by the electromagnet l8 and pivoted (clockwise, from full to dotted line position, Fig. 3). This movement of the ball-reprojecting member 28 projects or propels the ball up the inclined playing board I2, along a path parallel to, but below, the runway 25; whereupon the thus reprojected ball passes between the flags or springs 3i into the reversely inclined runway or ramp 33, and the reprojected ball is directed by this ramp 33, onto the runway 25, whereupon it rolls down the runway 25, and down the angled end portions 27 of the latter, into the relatively restricted or confined area 28 of the inclined playing board It, from which it may pass into any one of the ball exit or scoring openings or pockets As the reprojected ball passes between the flexible flags or springs 3| it spreads the latter apart against the action of their own resiliency (from full to dotted line position, Fig. 1) thereby slowing up or retarding the motion of the reprojectedball so that the latter will not, in all cases, have sufficient momentum left to travel up the reverse ramp 33 onto the elevated runway 25. In the latter event, the reprojected ball will run back down the ramp 33 and engage one of the rebound flags or springs 3| and will be deflected by the latter to one lateral side of the ramp 33 and elevated trackway 25, whence the thus deflected ball will gravitate over the inclined playing board [2 toward the lower end of the latter.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying our invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification, without departing from the spirit of the invention We, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including an inclined playing board; means for propelling balls onto the upper portion of said inclined playing board so that they may gravitate thereover; an inclined ball return runway arranged upon said inclined playing board and elevated above the latter for returning played balls to a point adjacent the lower end of said inclined playing board; a second ball runway arranged upon said inclined playing board; said second-named runway including a portion extending below the said first-named or elevated runway and including a portion bent or curved back upon itself and projected above the upper end portion of the said first-named or elevated runway and below the latter; and means, actuated by a spent or played ball, for reprojecting the same over said inclined playing board toward the upper end of the latter so that it may enter into the said second-named or lower runway and be deflected by the said curved portion of the latter onto the upper portion of the said firstnamed or upper runway.

2. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including an inclined playing board; means for propelling balls onto the upper portion of said inclined playing board so that they may gravitate thereover; an inclined ball return runway arranged upon said inclined plane board and elevated above the latter for returning played balls to a point adjacent the lower end of said inclined playing board; a second ball runway arranged upon said inclined playing board; said second-named runway including a portion extending below the said first-named or elevated runway and including a portion bent or curved back upon itself and projected above the upper end portion of the said first-named or elevated runway; and means including an electromagnetic device arranged adjacent the lower end of said first-named or elevated runway and below the latter, and actuated by a spent or played ball, for reprojecting a spent or played ball over said inclined playing board toward the upper end of the latter so that it may enter into the said secondnamed or lower runway and be deflected by the said curved portion of the latter onto the upper portion of the said first-named or upper runway.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination of a cabinet including an inclined playing board; means for propelling balls onto the upper portion of said inclined playing board so that they may gravitate thereover; an inclined ball return runway arranged upon said playing board and above the latter for returning balls to a point adjacent the lower end of said inclined playing board; means arranged adjacent the lower end of said runway and actuated by a ball gravitating over said inclined playing board for reprojecting a ball thereover toward the upper end of the same; and means arranged upon said inclined playing board adjacent the upper end of the said runway for reversing the direction of travel of a ball thus reprojected over said inclined playing board by said first-named means and for depositing the same upon the upper or higher portion of said runway.

4. In a game apparatus, the combination of: a cabinet including an inclined playing board; means for propelling balls onto the upper portion of said inclined playing board so that they may gravitate thereover; an inclined ball return runway arranged upon said playing board and above the latter for returning balls to a point adjacent the lower end of said inclined playing board; means arranged adjacent the lower end of said runway and including an electromagnetic device actuated by a ball gravitating over said inclined playing board for reprojecting a ball thereover toward the upper end of the same; and means arranged upon said inclined playing board adjacent the upper end of said runway for reversing the direction of travel of a ball thus reprojected over said inclined playing board by said firstnamed means and for depositing the same upon the upper or higher portion of said runway.

5. In a game apparatus, a cabinet including a member providing a ball-playing surface; a ball runway arranged upon said playing surface above the latter; means arranged adjacent one end of said runway and actuated by a ball traveling over said playing surface for reprojecting a ball thereover; and means arranged upon said playing surface adjacent the other end of said runway for reversing the direction of travel of a ball thus reprojected over said playing surface and for depositing the same upon said runway.

6. In a game apparatus: a cabinet including a member providing a ball-playing surface; a ball runway arranged upon said playing surface above the latter; means arranged between the ends of said runway and actuated by a ball traveling over said playing surface for reprojecting a ball over the latter; and means arranged upon said playing surface adjacent one end of said runway for reversing the direction of travel of a ball thus reprojected over said playing surface and for depositing the same in said runway.

'7. In a game apparatus: a cabinet'including a member providing a ball-playing surface; a ball runway arranged upon said playing surface above the latter; means including an electromagnetic device arranged between the ends of said runway and actuated by a ball traveling over said playing surface for reprojecting a ball over the latter; and means arranged upon said playing surface adjacent one end of said runway for reversing the direction of trayel of a ball thus reprojected over said playing surface and for depositing the same in said runway.

8. In a game apparatus, a cabinet including a member providing a ball-playing surface; a ball runway arranged upon said playing surface above the latter; means arranged adjacent one end of said runway for reprojecting a ball over said playing surface; and means arranged upon said playing surface adjacent the other end of said runway for reversing the direction of travel of a ball thus reprojected over said playing surface and for depositing the same upon said runway.

9. A game comprising a game'board having pockets arranged in groups and barriers adjacent said pockets and means for projecting balls over the surface of said board; means for directing a ball toward one group of pockets including a track elevated above the surface of the board and having an end thereof inclined downwardly toward said group of pockets, a return track at the other end of said elevated track to deliver balls upon the latter, a striker movably mounted to reproject a ball over the surface of said board to the return track, and means for actuating said striker.

JOSEPH W. ORCUTT.

HARRY A. S'I'EARNS.

THOMAS L. WALL. 

